Higgs–Higgs scattering and the (non-)existence of the Higgsonium

Abstract

We study the Higgs–Higgs scattering process and the possible emergence of a Higgs–Higgs bound state (Higgsonium) in any Higgs potential with the vacuum expectation value and second derivative matching the corresponding values from the Standard Model (SM). From the tree-level Higgs–Higgs scattering amplitude, we construct the unitarized amplitude using two different unitarization schemes (the well-known on-shell and N/D methods). We reproduce the known result that there is no Higgsonium state in the SM and, in addition, we determine the S-, D-, and G-wave SM scattering lengths, both at tree-level and upon unitarization. In doing so, we refine previous results by checking the convergence of the N/D approach. Next, we extend the calculation for non-SM potentials and investigate under which conditions a formation of a bound state close to the Higgs–Higgs threshold is possible. In this way, the assumption that no Higgsonium exist, imposes certain bounds on the values of the self-interaction parameters that complement those imposed by the vacuum stability condition.